The present invention relates to a packaging for at least two associated articles, comprising a box-like body with a substantially polygonal bottom, a number of standing side walls and a cover which in the closed situation encloses an interior space.
Such packagings are used on a large scale for packing all types of articles. The box-like body herein usually has a rectangular bottom, cover and side walls. The articles for packing are brought together in the internal space and thus packaged together.
Although such a packaging suffices very well for a large number of the applications for which it is suitable, it encounters drawbacks when packaging is involved of two or more associated articles, of which at least one can be freely chosen. An example hereof is for instance a cordless telephone set, wherein the base station and at least some of the accessories are supplied in a standard colour but where the customer is offered a choice in terms of the colour of the associated handset In order to avoid unnecessarily large accusation of stock in such a case, the standard components only are preferably placed beforehand in the space of the packaging and the optional article only added later. A drawback here however is that this is relatively time-consuming and furthermore no direct visual check is then possible as to whether actions have actually taken place. An alternative is separate supply of the second article, although this may be less desirable from a marketing viewpoint.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a packaging of the type stated in the preamble which obviates these drawbacks.
For this purpose a packaging of the type stated in the preamble has the feature according to the invention of the internal space is intended to receive only a first of the two articles and at the box-like body is provided with a recess accessible from outside for receiving a second article therein. All standard components can herein be accommodated from the outset in the internal space of the packaging and thus be supplied as it were as standard package. When later the choice of the second optional article has been determined, his article can be arranged in simple manner in the recess and thus supplied integrally with the rest A direct visual check as to whether the unit is complete or not also remains possible.
In a particular embodiment the packaging according to the invention has the feature that the recess encloses a space for receiving therein in at least practically fitting manner a second box-like body with a form substantially congruent therewith, which second box-like body is intended for receiving the second article. In this case the second article is also prepackaged in a box-like body and, thus packaged, arranged in the recess of the first box-like body. The mutual congruence of the second box-like body and the recess results in an almost completely flat, close-fitting whole resembling a single packaging.
In order to prevent unintentional release of the second packed or loose article from the recess, a preferred embodiment of the packaging according to the invention has the feature that the recess is provided with clamping members to clampingly receive therein the packed or loose second article. Numerous forms of clamping member can herein be envisaged per se, although in a further preferred embodiment the packaging according to the invention is characterized in that the clamping member comprise lips placed along an edge of the recess which extend into the recess and protrude as integral part from the surrounding part of the relevant wall of the boxlike body. Such lips cm be formed together with the periphery of the recess in the same processing step from the material of one of the walls of the box-like body and thereby entail no additional components or processing steps.
In a particular preferred embodiment the packaging according to the invention has the feature that the cover comprises at least one flap depending therefrom intended to fall inside an adjoining side wall of the first box-like body in the closed situation and that the recess opens in the cover and in said flap of the cover. The recess herein extends in the cover as far as an edge thereof where said flap is situated. Such an embodiment is exceptionally simple to manufacture, particularly if at least the second boxlike body has a substantially rectangular bottom. In this respect a filter embodiment of the packaging according to the invention has the feature that the cover comprises two substantially parallel cut portions extending transversely of a boundary line with said flap and running over a first distance in said flap, that first creases are arranged between the outer ends of the cut portions and that at least in the cover between the cut portions there lies a second crease which maintains a second distance relative to the adjacent At crease which is at least practically equal to the first distance. All that is necessary therefore to form the recess in the first box-like body is to arrange said cut portions and creases. As soon as these are arranged the part of the first box-like body enclosed thereby can be folded inward to thus form the recess. The part of the flap involved herein now forms part of the bottom which hereby extends as a continuous whole under the recess. The adjacent side wall of the first box-like body bounds the recess and thus prevents a second box-like body placed in the recess from falling out at all easily.